Chapter 121: The Head of the Holy Demon

A biting gust of wind whistled past Ye Zihan’s ear, the icy chill of it tangible against his skin.

Dodging the strike, Ye Zihan did not launch a counterattack. Instead, he retreated rapidly for ten yards. Once he regained his footing, a cold smirk curled the corners of his lips as he softly uttered a few words:

"Cage of Heaven and Earth!"

*Clang!*

With a thunderous crash, a transparent iron cage descended from the sky, trapping the cat-scorpion before it could evade. No matter what maneuvers the creature employed, it could not shake the cage in the slightest.

"Full mastery of the Five Elements? To think you are a freak of nature with all five elements unlocked!" The strange woman suddenly appeared not far from Ye Zihan. Seeing the seal he had cast, her expression shifted dramatically as she cried out in shock.

After the initial astonishment, her face was overtaken by joy, fanaticism, and greed. She stared at Ye Zihan with a piercing, jarring, and unpleasant shriek: "Hahaha! Who would have thought you’d have all five elements unlocked? Good, good, good! It seems that after being trapped here for a thousand years, the heavens have finally opened their eyes and sent me a magnificent tonic!"

"Stop putting on a show. Since you’ve learned my secret, there is no need for you to live any longer!" Ye Zihan’s eyes radiated a frigid chill. It wasn’t that he wanted to expose his secret, but this woman was the strongest opponent he had ever encountered—a threat to his very life. He could no longer hold anything back. For the first time outside the presence of his two masters, Ye Zihan fought with all five elements fully unleashed.

"Bind!"

Ye Zihan spread his palm, and a ring of shimmering silver rope, like a sentient serpent, lashed out to coil around the woman.

This was the Gold-element talent he used least often: the Hunter’s Skill!

"The heavens have granted me this opportunity; you are destined to be the one who sets me free! Hand over your soul source. The Five Element talent is nothing but waste in your hands; only in mine can it radiate supreme glory!"

The strange woman’s aura suddenly surged. Her black hair began to move without wind, growing rapidly until it brushed against her feet. Her beautiful features twisted into a hideous visage; sharp fangs erupted from her mouth, and a long, jagged slit tore open on her forehead, revealing a dark, gleaming eyeball in the center.

*Hiss!*

Transformed into an ugly monster, she opened her fang-filled maw, her long tongue flickering about in a truly harrowing display.

Ye Zihan couldn't help but swallow hard. Throughout his journey of cultivation, he had encountered countless strange beasts and demons, but the sight of this woman made his very soul run cold.

"Ree!"

The monster let out a shrill screech, rolling toward Ye Zihan amidst a gale of demonic wind.

"Come then! I have slaughtered countless beasts and monsters; one more won't make a difference!" Ye Zihan licked his lips, a touch of ferocity flashing across his face. Clutching his dagger, he did not hesitate and collided head-on with the monster.

*Clang! Clang! Clang!*

The sound of metal striking metal rang out incessantly as the man and the beast clashed repeatedly in mid-air.

*Thud!*

A dull sound echoed as a mass of black energy erupted without warning from the monster’s hand. Caught off guard, Ye Zihan took a direct kick to the chest and was sent flying back more than ten meters.

"Seal!"

Quickly stabilizing himself, Ye Zihan shouted. A brown sigil flashed in his hand, and as it appeared, a matching one began to emerge beneath the monster’s feet, threatening to trap it within.

"Mastering all five elements is truly troublesome. It seems I cannot take you down without using my ultimate technique! Unseal—Phantom Soul Ghost Hand!" The monster ignored the seal at its feet and slowly raised its grotesque arm.

"Huh?"

Ye Zihan’s consciousness had been locked onto every one of the woman's movements. Seeing this, he reacted instantly, flipping his body and retreating at top speed.

*Boom!*

A massive hand, surging with demonic energy, appeared eerily where Ye Zihan had stood a moment before. Had he not dodged so quickly, he would surely have been caught in its grasp.

"Roar! The Phantom Soul Ghost Hand—to think you are actually the Heavenly Demon, the leader of the four ancient Holy Demons!" Following a resounding dragon’s roar, a pitch-black shadow suddenly flashed to Ye Zihan’s side, staring at the monster in the distance and shouting sternly.

It was Mo You, having escaped from the bead held by the monster!

"What?"

Ye Zihan was completely stunned. This was utterly surreal. First, he met Su Zi, who possessed a召唤兽 (summoned beast) with the Blue Handbrake bloodline, and now he was facing the strongest of the four Holy Demons, the Heavenly Demon.

"Boss, don't misunderstand. This creature possesses the bloodline of the Heavenly Demon—the very same one who invaded the Mortal Realm and the Beast Realm long ago!" Mo You’s face lacked its usual playfulness, replaced by a gravity Ye Zihan had never seen before.

"How can that be!" It was Ye Zihan’s turn to be rattled. He could never have imagined that the one he had been fighting for so long was the legendary Heavenly Demon who had once wreaked havoc across the Mortal and Beast Realms.

Mo You spoke solemnly: "There is no mistake. When I left, my mother passed down a vast amount of ancestral memories to me. One of the oldest memories is of the battle between our ancestor, the Thousand-Nether Blood Illusion Dragon, and the leader of the four demons, the Heavenly Demon. The dragon and the demon fought for three months. In the end, our ancestor narrowly defeated and killed it, but accidentally allowed its three souls and six spirits to escape. Because our ancestor was severely wounded, he had to abandon the pursuit to enter seclusion and heal. To think that the once-illustrious leader of the four demons has fallen so low, forced to survive in this Demon Abyss."

"It seems you know quite a lot. I am indeed struggling to survive, but once I kill you both and extract the bloodline of your Thousand-Nether Blood Illusion Dragon, along with this boy’s Five Element soul source, I can refine them to break free from this place. In time, I will surely restore my former glory. My cultivation may even advance further, and all three realms will tremble at my arrival! Hahaha!"

The Heavenly Demon let out a grating laugh that forced Ye Zihan and Mo You to channel their source energy just to resist it. And this was only the remnant of the Heavenly Demon's souls and spirits; one could hardly imagine the sheer power it possessed at its peak!

"If that’s the case, then enough talk. Today, we shall rid the three realms of this evil!" Ye Zihan ceased speaking and, gathering all his strength, charged toward the Heavenly Demon. Seals, summons, hunting skills, and martial arts were unleashed one after another from his hands, raining down upon the monster in a frantic barrage.

Through their exchange, Ye Zihan was shocked to discover that her voice could actually weaken his will to fight. This was beyond mere "powerful"—it was terrifying. In combat, the will to fight is the source and foundation of one's strength.

To put it bluntly, in battle, the will to fight is equivalent to the source energy in cultivation. Without source energy, there is no cultivation; without the will to fight, there is no combat.